February 14, 2013

Don Thompson, in an Associated Press article on February 11, 2013, informs us that Governor Jerry Brown of California has been challenging federal court oversight of the state prison system by highlighting the high price tag coming from private law firms representing inmates, the state’s own legal costs, and the expenses for receivers/special masters.

According to the article from three state agencies, taxpayers have spent $182 million for inmates’ attorneys and court-appointed authorities over the past 15 years covering a dozen lawsuits over the treatment of state prisoners, parolees and incarcerated juveniles. The total actually exceeds $200 million when the state’s own legal costs are added. In addition to its in-house legal costs, the state has paid nearly $83 million to private law firms and court-appointed authorities in two of these major lawsuits (which we assume is part of the prior $182 million figure). Governor Brown is using this data to attempt to call an end to two of the major lawsuits which are still pending.